Best Hiking Trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Seasonal Popularity

Overview

Great Smoky Mountain National Park was America's number one most visited national park in 2017, with more than 11 million visitors. And it's no wonder why. With its forested ridge upon ridge separating North Carolina and Tennessee, the park is beautiful year-round. It's also renowned for its plant and animal life, as well as the Southern Appalachian mountain culture.

Getting Started

Though it gets extremely crowded (check out travel tips, here), it's still possible to get away from the masses via the 850 miles of trail that crisscross the park. Here are some of the most popular, but peruse our 'popular hikes' section below to find a whole bunch less traveled yet still lovely hikes.

The hike to the tallest waterfall in the park, Ramsey Cascades, is considered strenuous and very popular. Chimney Tops is another very popular hike with beautiful views. If you're looking for something short and sweet with a very cool lookout structure, check out Clingmans Dome.

Looking for other things to do besides hiking? Try auto-touring, fishing or cycling the park instead, amongst other suggestions from the National Park Service.

If you can afford it, Le Conte Lodge is a pretty special experience. It's unusual as a hike-in only lodge, with the shortest trail in 5.5 miles up Alum Cave Trail. Can't swing the added expense? Take a day-hike up instead, and enjoy a sack-lunch in the dining hall. Remember, there's always camping!

And if you're planning a through-hike, there are services available, like this one. If you're looking for something super long, 70 miles of the famed Appalachian Trail go through the park.

When to Go

Visit year-round, though we suggest avoiding peak-seasons (mid-June through mid-August), as the park gets jam-packed, especially on weekends. The winter snows are lovely, though may close roads and some secondary campgrounds. Fall (October) is a truly stunning time to visit and see autumn colors, though again, it's a very popular time to visit. If you're hitting up the park during peak seasons, go early or arrive late in the day to avoid congestion.

Permits

Unlike most national parks, Great Smoky Mountains is free! Special use permits and free backcountry permits can be found here.

Dog Info

Like most national parks, pets need to be on a leash of 6-feet or less, and are not permitted in the backcountry or on trails except for the two short Gatlinburg and Oconaluftee River Trails. They are only allowed in designated campgrounds, picnic areas and along roads.

The upper part along Loop Trail is difficult -- half a mile up, half a mile down, with about 500 ft elevation gain and loss -- but the rest of the trail is easy. The waterfalls are each different but all beautiful, and this is a very rewarding hike.

A great loop from Cades Cove up Rich Mountain. The first mile or so is pretty level, then it gets STEEP for a few miles, then there's a nice ridge line with views (through the trees) both north and south, then a pretty steep descent on a rutted trail full of sharp switchbacks. Crooked Arm Cascades at the end is beautiful, a little bonus after all that hard work. There were lots of trees down across the trail when I went (4/2019) -- most could be scrambled over pretty easily. And lots of small stream crossings, all with easy rock hops.

This is a good loop -- some trails are wide and well-graded roadbeds, others are narrow single tracks on the edge of a hillside. There's not a lot of steep elevation, but rather a series of up-and-down grades. The weather was rainy but cleared up; Abrams Creek was pretty high so I didn't try to cross at Hannah Mountain, but went on down Tiny Bottoms Trail back to Abrams Creek campsite.

We took the family Kids included and this was a very nice hike. Does get a little steep on the climb for little ones as they may require some help. It was a 2 km hike which took about 55 minutes up to the main falls.

I'm starting Physical Therapy for my knee so this is a great hike which doesn't stress the knee. Walking along an old logging rail track the gentle uphill from the trailhead to Walnut Bottoms provide great views of the creek. The Midnight Hole is 1.5 miles from the trailhead and, in warm weather, is a great (very cold) refresher. I rated the walk, 11 miles round trip, as a four. And that's only because I prefer being higher up and getting the great views.

I wouldn't necessarily call this easy. It does have some moderate ups and downs, not horrible, but not entirely easy, either. You will not be alone on this trail. My wife and I hiked this trail on a 50-something degree Saturday between Christmas and New Year's and there were a lot of other people on the trail. It is a well-kept trail though and the payoff at the falls is worth the hike. When we went, the pool at the base of the falls was swollen from a rainy winter, so it was difficult to get very close to the falls, but the view was still good. Be warned, the only way to get to this trail is by way of Cade's Cove Loop Road. This is a 9 mile road that took us a total of a little over two hours to drive do to the stop and go traffic.

This trail has recently been redone, and the description is accurate. Be aware the very top section, the one described as" the scramble" is currently closed off due to unstable soil as a result of the fire. It is unlikely to be reopened anytime soon. However the trail ends at a beautiful overlook where you can see the chimney, and this makes for a nice hike. This is not a hike for out of shape beginners; it is quite literally a 2 hour walk straight up. When we started, the whole valley was in pea soup fog and it was drizzling. However the trail was above the fog and it was very clear. Typical of the Smokies, the trail is rocky, goes up a lot, and weather is unpredictable, but well worth the effort.